Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - One of the three men charged with robbing a Rochester police informant is headed to prison. 38-year-old Richard Patten entered into a plea agreement yesterday by admitting to one count of first-degree aggravated robbery, while another count of the same crime was dismissed. The Rochester was then sentenced to a little over 9-years in prison.

The charges stemmed from two incidents in February during which the police informant arranged meetings in hotel rooms to purchase drugs as part of a police investigation and found himself being robbed at gunpoint. In both cases, Patten was identified as the person with the gun who demanded the informant the cash he had been given to make the drug buys. Prosecutors say a total of $1450 was stolen from the man during the two robberies. The charges also said Patten made the informant smoke some methamphetamine, apparently as a test to see if the person was working with police.

The two other men charged in the cases are accused of arranging the bogus drug deals with the informant. One of them, 50-year-old Larry Schaaf of Faribault, was also accused of brandishing a knife. He is scheduled to appear at an evidentiary hearing next week, while the other man is scheduled to be sentenced next month. 36-year-old Daniel Schmitz of Faribault earlier pleaded guilty to a simple robbery charge for his role in the heists.

 

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